Nine people died at Nippon Paper Industries' Yatsushiro Mill in Kumamoto Prefecture after an earthquake struck the region, the company said in a filing dated July 31. The dead include six Nippon Paper employees and three workers from partner companies who were at the site. Everyone else who was at the mill on the day of the quake has since been confirmed safe.
The Yatsushiro Mill has stopped production. As of 7:30am on July 31, Nippon Paper said it was still investigating the extent of the damage and had no further detail to report on the plant's condition.
On supply, Nippon Paper said it is filling orders for the mill's output from existing inventory and will draw on backup production at its other factories if needed to keep supply stable. On earnings, the company said the financial impact of the shutdown is still being reviewed. It did not commit to reporting the outcome of that review once finished; it said only that it will make a timely disclosure if a disclosable matter arises.
Nippon Paper has set up a crisis-management headquarters led by its president, which the company says is focused first on the safety and support of affected employees and their families.